your testimony will make a difference. thank you very much. i would like to thank mr. lawyer and our colleagues for being here. do now ise going to turn to questions. in order to accommodate all the members here, we will try to take three questions at a time and members will be called on in order of appearance. i'm going to ask my colleagues to make i will ask my colleagues to make the questions very short and very poignant and we will get the answers that we want, because we anticipate there will be sure to want to get. with that, i will ask for questions from congresswoman ,elazquez, congresswoman lee and congressman johnson. did congresswoman lee leave? >> she left. >> ok, go ahead.

congresswoman velazquez, johnson, and mr. hoyer. morning, everyone. here participating in congressional hearings, and this is the toughest one. lady.m a tough i wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone of you for your grace and your dignity. pray --pe -- father, i that those americans that have been ignored by the other side that are paying close attention to what is happening here in -- lisa, i would like to ask you a question. the last seven months have clearly been very tough on you. but you persevered and now you

are on a brighter path. todaywould you have been unemployment for compensation emergency benefits? had the extrat unless you have experienced how the job market is today and the incredible -- you mayesearch spend three hours preparing for an interview. you have no idea what it is like to go through the world of the internet job boards. would -- i was facing a of taking -- actually, i enrolled. i have a bachelors degree and i

had enrolled in my local community college with all the young millennial's to go back to school to get an associates degree, to go to night school and work during the day on a minimum wage job or a little bit more. and then my plan was to have to and havemy retirement 30% of that tax, and then taxed again. and just pray that my tenacity would get me there. ,he a and -- the anxiety level i cannot even explain to you the insomnia, the tears, the mood swings, the ups, the downs. it ranks with me as one of the five most tragic things to have ever happened in my life. does to you emotionally and psychologically, you feel like hester prynne with

you areer a when jobless for very long. you soon become a member of the lost world. people look at you when you do not have a job yet like there is something wrong with you. that is where i have been. >> thank you. [indiscernible] you, madam chair. i have no questions, but i would like to let you all know that it is for a timeframe about three months i was unemployed. this was back many years ago. school -- it was summer break. i mean, i'm used to working. but i could not find a job that

summer. the whole summer. i'm sure that your feelings about being unemployed and searching for work and being unable to find anything, you know, the effect that has on you very -- youjust would not know it unless you went through it, and i think that is the problem with a lot of our colleagues here in congress. many were born with a silver spoon. they've never had to in counter times when it is hard to make ends meet. encounternter -- times when it is hard to make ends meet. we will do anything -- everything with the caucus

leadership to remedy the situation for you. and last, but not least, our dear pope has brought it on home. at such a wonderful time of the sharing. we are we are thankful for all that we have been given, and we are trying to give back and share a little bit of the good tidings with our neighbors and friends. that is the spirit that we should have. i just want to applaud the pope for taking that direction. thank you all for being brave enough to come here today. thank you. >> congressman. >> thank you all. i represent the puerto rican congress. ritter we go, by the way, is an american territory. , by the way, is an american territory.

its unemployment rate is 17%. it is the highest, pretty much, in america. , 80,200ame time american citizens there will continue not getting unemployment benefits if this program is not extended. and your accounts have moved me quite a bit. i know anybody with any kind of sensitivity would be moved by your accounts. i'm sure that most, if not all of those 80,000 constituents that i represent would have similar accounts. dress my question to father snyder. colleagues of ours here in congress believe that government has no responsibility, the federal government has no responsibility. poverty, hunger, homelessness, and unemployment in america.

they believe that charities should take care of it all. what is your response? >> i think charity has a role to play, without a doubt. the charity cannot do it alone. thisosition has been in country that charity partners with the government and we work together. because we both have that as a common goal. it is for the common good, especially the most vulnerable. as far as saying the government has no role, i'm not sure what that faith tradition might be, who areink those of us thestian, jewish, and even muslim tradition, there's is that clear response ability to your neighbor come a especially your neighbor in need. neighbor, especially your neighbor in need. i would ask them to go back and look at their roots, because the

very things we are talking about today, they will hear an answer. >> we will hear from congressman -- congresswoman joyce beatty from ohio. then the congressman from nevada and then california. >> thank you. let me join my colleagues in thanking you for humming in and giving-- coming in and your testimony. let me say, it is courageous to me. this is very difficult as i sit here and i think of how you represent the many faiths in my district, of people who are writing me and calling me with very similar stories. becausey, we are here we are concerned. we are your advocates. -- toed to be able to see personally say that. he said, your story, like the

others, is very compelling. -- lisa, your story like the others, is very compelling. and you mentioned ohio. i am in the heart of ohio. upwill be brief in a follow- to my colleagues question, but not as it relates to the church or the faith-based. myoften, many people in district will say, go to the church and they will take care of it. and that doesn't happen. and you need alone in my district, the churches cannot sustain you in a home or sustain you with medical or groceries. if there was one thing you could what" us -- i am a "so person and a resolver. we have heard you. what is the one extra thing you would like me to do, whether in , oristrict or legislatively here in my committee? what is the one thing?

>> for me, and i have been asking myself what congress is doing it how they are for me as an individual and as a community. i know you are not my representative. that you do represent me in other ways. you do represent me in other ways. i think it is to find a way to resolve these issues that are facing our nation. help the people that are under .ing -- that are under your we do. my husband and i were talking about that if we just did the lease amount for the american people as a nation of all that , that is ones far of the reasons why i rarely listen to the news anymore. it is depressing. there is just no talking.

even i have to talk with my family or my friends to negotiate, and with my husband to negotiate issues and negotiate what we are going to pay or what we are going to eat all stop -- to eat. sometimes we make concessions. sometimes one makes a confession, sometimes the other, but usually we both make a oncession as to what we are going to do. and i don't understand why congress cannot. we are all here because we are responsible to our nation. , what can iyself contribute back to my community as a scam recessional? what can -- a stem professional? as a gardener, what can i do?

whatdaughter of a veteran, can i do for the veterans and our community? and soon i may be homeless. every time i see a homeless person, i'm giving them what little change i have in my purse , my hand, or my pocket. i'm starting to make an effort to keep coins in my pocket so i can give something to someone. because whatever we can give to the least of us we do for ourselves. and i don't know if that is really what you're asking. >> [inaudible] thank you. if somehow this congress and future congressperson's can come together and work for us as people, as a nation. >> enqueue. -- thank you. you for holding this very important hearing.

this is the reason i came to congress, to hear and listen and to represent constituents and people in america like you, who expect this congress to address the important issues of our time. nothing can be more important than employment and job creation and growing our economy. you have put a perspective that i have been waiting to hear now -- 11 months as a new member you provided me with hope that i came to congress to do the right thing. i am from nevada. my state has the highest unemployment in the country at 9.3%. and with the state with fewer than 3 million people, we have who will00 individuals

lose their emergency unemployment benefits on december 28. unless we do something about that. if the republican leadership continues to sit idly by, then by next june, that number will double to 40,000. it is real. i want to thank each of you, because as my colleagues have said already, we are listening and we hear you and we know that you represent so many other people. to the other witnesses, thank you. , i want to ask you a specific question, because one sector that has been hardest hit in my state is the construction sector. and i have workers and unions, trades thatd other have been unemployed for more than a year. and there really are no jobs in that sector coming back anytime soon in my community because of sustained recession.

the construction industry was our number two sector behind gaming. it has been hardest hit. it is good to hear a union perspective. i want to ask you as a building thees worker, what about quality of the job you're looking for? you come from a sector with livable wages, good benefits, pension, apprenticeship to come back and retrain. you if the job that they are trying to put you in doesn't really provide sustainable wages for you and your family? >> as you sit out of work, you start questioning your ability to do a job. drops -- worht drops

and your self-confidence drops and it takes quite a bit to get it back up. it's hard to be unemployed. as a craftsman. i build. i enjoy building. i like to look back on what i built, and i did that. that is my pride. when i don't have a job, you feel worthless. it is a feeling i don't like. been in the trade 43 years. i have worked everything from mills, carsteel plants

and i've always done it according to my pride and that's what i try to give. unemployment is unfulfilling. it doesn't make you feel good. ,t is hard to do something else not after all of these years and the continuous training that we go under. >> a beautiful answer, stan. >> i join my colleagues in thanking you for being here. and for being so honest with us. i just wish my colleagues from the other side were sitting here listening to you. they are not. one of the areas that covers -- i'm sure all of

you understand this is something you are not getting, assistance dealing with the pressures in the feeling with worthlessness and despair, and the questioning of your abilities to get back into the job market. at some point, we are all missing the ability to help you sustain a mental attitude to be in achieving reemployment. that is an area where i get excited. on it int focusing congress either. it is the ability to be able to understand the position it places you in as an additional in extending the unemployment benefits. it is something that just affects the family. now we have another home in the market that might or might not move and now we have added to the recession.

we haveunderstand that to be able to help you to be able to sustain yourself mentally and move forward. you are worth it. and hopedone your work to create this economy in the red states and we owe it to you. the other area is the unemployed vets. a lot of them are coming home to nothing. ,he suicide rate is 22 a day which is unacceptable for our veterans. there are many things we need to work on. the problem has been the budget is not big enough. the economy is not growing fast enough. why are we not focused on bringing the jobs back here to the u.s.? why are we not looking at being able to hold employers accountable? they are making money. i can start off with a few of them i can think of offhand. you need to be a way or and you need to be able to tell other people to be aware of how this works in congress. because if you don't support and we are trying to do

bring companies back here to do the job creation and take care of you when you need it to be able to help you get back on your feet, then we are not doing your job. because we do not have the power to do it as it stands now. any comments? thing.st want to say one what i was feeling on monday morning was pure, unadulterated fear. i gave my christmas tree to a friend. i wasn't going to put it up. no christmas. i had no idea what i was facing. and your emotions go up and down, up and down. you go on a face to face interview and you think it went great, and because the competition in our area is very high because of unemployment --

what i want you to understand is , get rid of that wrong impression that people who are on long term unemployment are , singing a song, and they are all laying in front of the tv watching jerry springer and eating junk food. that is not what we are doing. we are out there every day. you have to step aside from it every now and then because you're going to drive yourself insane. but we are out there pounding it hard. the majority of americans want to work. we are not the exception. we are the rule. we want to work. understand that. >> we get it. the problem is, the colleagues on the other side don't get it, because many of them have never

been unemployed. and california has the highest -- well, we are over 35 million now. and are affected unemployed will be close to one million in california if we do not extend this. it is critical for all of us. and we all support what you -- well, what you have told us we need to do, we all support that. are very right about the people who do not want to work. those make it hard for the rest. but we are not going after those that are fraudulently accessing the fund. and that is something that we also need to look at, how to go in and get able off their duff's and not create a dynasty of people that are on unemployment for ever, or social services. god bless you, all of you, and good luck in your future. thank you. >> thank you. i would like to ask for questions from -- just one point. you should know that the work the loss center is doing -- and

i want to single out chris owens they're working to end the discrimination against those who have been unemployed for a long time. you do not have to end -- add insult to injury for people. with that, i would like to recognize congresswoman moore, congresswoman spear, and congresswoman mulroney. and we're going to add in congressman kildee. we do not know when votes are coming up. we have to move fast. >> thank you. christine, i know that lisa, vera, and stan are frightened, find their testimonies very, very frightening, and intimidating for the whole country.

these people are master electricians, microbiologist, bachelors degree with a lot of executive experience, and they are unemployed for a long time. what about those people who do not have their skill set? i missed so much of their testimony. i was peru's thing through their testimony just to try to get my arms around the extent to which they have been offered part-time work. they say they have been looking for anything. the extent to which they have been willing to accept jobs for half as much. >> all of this in our video library later. we are taking live to the white house next. president obama on the death of former south african residents nelson mandela. >> nelson mandela closed a statement from the dock saying, "i have fought against white domination and i have fought against black domination. i have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together

in harmony and with equal opportunities. it is an ideal i hope to live for and to achieve. but if need be, it is an ideal for which i am prepared to die." nelson mandela lived for that ideal and he made it real. he achieved more than could be expected of any man. and today, he has gone home. we have lost one of the most influential, courageous, and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this earth. .e no longer belongs to us he belongs to the ages. dignity andfierce unbending will to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others, he transformed south africa and moved all of us. his journey from imprisonment to

a president embodied the promise that human beings and countries can change for the better. his commitment to transfer power and reconcile with those who jailed him set an example that all of humanity should aspire to , whether in their own nations or their own personal lives. and the fact that he did it all with grace and with humor and the ability to acknowledge his own imperfections only makes the man that much more remarkable. as he once said, i'm not a saint , unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying. i am one of the countless millions who drew inspiration from nelson mandela. action,first political the first thing i ever did that involved an issue or a policy or politics was a protest against

apartheid. i would study his words and his writings. the day he was released from me a sense ofe what human beings can do when they are guided by their hopes and not by their fears. and like so many around the globe, i cannot imagine my own life without the example that nelson mandela set. and so long as i live, i will do what i can to learn from him. two michelle -- to his family, michelle and i extend our deepest sympathy and gratitude. his life meant long days away from those who loved him most. and i only hope the time spent with him these last few weeks brought peace and comfort to his family. to the people of south africa, we draw strength from the

example of renewal and reconciliation and resilience that you made real. a free south africa at peace with itself. that sets an example to the world. that is his legacy for the nation he loved. we will not likely see the likes of nelson mandela again. cant falls to us as best we to forward the example he set, to make decisions guided not by hate, but by love, to never discount the difference that one person can make, to strive for a future that is worthy of his sacrifice. for now, let's pause and give thanks for the fact that nelson , the man who took history in his hands and thence the arc of the moral universe

towards justice. may god bless his memory and keep him at peace. president obama saying i am one of the countless millions who drew inspiration from the life of nelson mandela. nelson mandela died today in south africa at 95. he spent 27 years in prison of a convicted i trees and by the white minority government, until the peaceful end of white rule in 1990. he was elected president in 1994. next up am a we will show you his inauguration speech from 1994. [applause]

>> it is my great pleasure to announce the president of the south africa, mr. nelson mandela. [applause] >> your majesties, your royal highnesses, distinguished guests, comrades, and friends, today, all of us do, by our presence here, and by our

celebrations in other parts of our country and the world confer glory and hope to newborn liberty. out of the experience of an extraordinary human disaster that lasted too long must be born a society of which all humanity will be proud. our daily deeds as ordinary south africans must produce an actual south african reality that will reinforce humanity's belief in justice, strengthen its confidence in the nobility of the human soul, and sustain all our hopes for a glorious life for all. all this we owe both to ourselves and to the peoples of the world who are so well represented here today.

to my compatriots, i have no hesitation in saying that each one of us is as intimately attached to the soil of this beautiful country as are the famous jacaranda trees of pretoria and the mimosa trees of the bushveld. each time one of us touches the soil of this land, we feel a sense of personal renewal. the national mood changes as the seasons change. we are moved by a sense of joy and exhilaration when the grass turns green and the flowers bloom. that spiritual and physical oneness we all share with this common homeland explains the

depth of the pain we all carried in our hearts as we saw our country tear itself apart in a terrible conflict, and as we saw it spurned, outlawed, and isolated by the peoples of the world, precisely because it has become the universal base of the pernicious ideology and practice of racism and racial oppression. we, the people of south africa, feel fulfilled that humanity has taken us back into its bosom, that we, who were outlaws not so long ago, have today been given the rare privilege to be host to the nations of the world on our own soil.

[applause] we thank all our distinguished international guests for having come to take possession with the people of our country of what is, after all, a common victory for justice, for peace, for human dignity. we trust that you will continue to stand by us as we tackle the challenges of building peace, prosperity, non-sexism, non- racialism, and democracy. we deeply appreciate the role that the masses of our people and their political mass democratic, religious, women, youth, business, traditional and other leaders have played to bring about this conclusion. not least among them is my

second deputy president, the honourable f.w. de klerk. [applause] we would also like to pay tribute to our security forces, in all their ranks, for the distinguished role they have played in securing our first democratic elections and the transition to democracy, from blood-thirsty forces which still refuse to see the light. the time for the healing of the wounds has come. the moment to bridge the chasms that divide us has come. the time to build is upon us. we have, at last, achieved our

political emancipation. we pledge ourselves to liberate all our people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender, and other discrimination. we succeeded to take our last steps to freedom in conditions of relative peace. we commit ourselves to the construction of a complete, just, and lasting peace. we have triumphed in the effort to implant hope in the breasts of the millions of our people. we enter into a covenant that we shall build the society in which all south africans, both black and white, will be able to walk tall, without any fear in their hearts, assured of their

inalienable right to human dignity -- a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world. as a token of its commitment to the renewal of our country,the new interim government of national unity will, as a matter of urgency, address the issue of amnesty for various categories of our people who are currently serving terms of imprisonment. we dedicate this day to all the heroes and heroines in this country and the rest of the world who sacrificed in many ways and surrendered their lives so that we could be free. their dreams have become reality. freedom is their reward. we are both humbled and elevated by the honour and privilege that you, the people of south africa,

have bestowed on us, as the first president of a united, democratic, non-racial, and non- sexist south africa, to lead our country out of the valley of darkness. we understand it still that there is no easy road to freedom. we know it well that none of us acting alone can achieve success. we must therefore act together as a united people, for national reconciliation, for nation building, for the birth of a new world. let there be justice for all. let there be peace for all. let there be work, bread, water, and salt for all. let each know that for each the

body, the mind, and the soul have been freed to fulfill themselves. never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being -- [applause] and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world. the sun shall never set on so the sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement. let freedom reign. god bless africa! thank you.

[cheers and applause] conclude byow singing our national anthem. ♪

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[cheers] >> present arms! ♪

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[applause]

host: at 95, former south nelson mandelant dies today, again, age 95. over the next couple minutes we will open our phones and read your comments on twitter on -- and get your thoughts. we put the numbers up on the screen. a reminder, eastern and time zones -- in case you did not see president obama's, it's a few minutes ago, we will show you those as well. cspanchat.ag is # bill clinton tweets i will never forget my friend madiba, the

colloquial casual name for resident mandela, and a look the president has included in that suite. who tweets, a look at the apollo theater, the marquis, honors nelson mandela tonight. here's the front page of "the new york times" -- john mccain from arizona tweets rest in peace, nelson mandela, whose courage and character inspired south africa and the world. let's hear from you. greg from new york city. caller: hello. to seehe privilege nelson mandela at a harvard university -- he was given an honorary degree in 1998, and i was so moved to hear his speech. and i'm -- my heart goes out to

his family today. thank you very much. host: we hope to bring you to the 1998 congressional gold medal ceremony honoring nelson mandela. from colorado springs, good evening. caller: good evening to you. i had the privilege of seeing him on his tour in africa when he was released in 1990. and hisrate his life legacy and benchmark and a father figure to the region. host: in 1990 he had just gotten out of prison, correct? caller: before he was president. at that time, i was 12. forlegacy he has left africans, south africans, and students like myself is great and i would like to celebrate his life and give my condolences to his family.

it is important to look at what he left behind and build upon that. caller: host: he was released after 27 years in prison. good evening, john. caller: i want to say good evening, c-span. you are wonderful. we greatly appreciate you. this is a moving moment. nelson mandela meant a lot to the world, not just to south africans, and i'm happy to have witnessed, along with the other people of patients and common sense what this person identify. a true christian or someone who practiced true christian principles. thank you, c-span, for coverage of this and all that you do. host: we are taking your comments by twitter. here is one from toby -- theara is in austin on dependent line. caller: we will never forget him. i heard someone say if he --

doeshe if what he wrote not apply to him, it does not apply to anyone. i remember one thing he said. he said overcoming poverty is not a suggestion of charity. it is an act of justice. that is just one of the quotations i remember from him. he also said i learned that kurds was not the effort of here, but the triumph over it. so it is a big loss. he lived a long life, 27 years prison, it is amazing he had the attitude he did after all that. thank you. host: thank you. a few more minutes of your phone calls. mississippi, angela, hello. caller: how are you? host: fine, thank you. caller: i want to send my condolences to the mandela family. be strong, because he was a good

hero. host: all right, angela. a couple comments. menendez, the chairman of the foreign relations committee in the senate, a number of statements, nelson mandela taught us about humility in the face of inhumanity and left an unjust world a more just place. also from speaker boehner, a comic deceiving, nelson mandela was an unrelenting was for democracy and his long walk to freedom showed us an enduring faith in god and a respect for the human dignity. just some of the comments coming out on the death of nelson mandela, announced by south african president jacob zuma early this afternoon. president obama after 5:00 gave his own remarks. >> at his trial in 1964, thus amendola closed his patent --

nelson mandela close his statement from the dock saying i have fought against white domination and i have fought against black domination. i have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. it is an ideal which i hope to live for and to achieve. but if needs be, it is an ideal forward which i am prepared to -- for which i am prepared to die. and nelson mandela lived for that ideal and he made it real. he achieved more than could be expected of any man. and today he has gone home, and we have lost one of the most influential, courageous, and profoundly good human beings that any of us will ever share time with on this earth. he no longer's long -- he no

longer amongst us. he belongs to the ages. andugh his fierce dignity unbending will to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others, madiba transform south africa and moved all of us. his journey from a prisoner to a president embodied the promise that human beings and countries can change for the better. powermmitment to transfer and reconcile with those who thatd him set an example all humanity should aspire to, whether in the lives of nations or our own personal lives. the fact that he did it all with grace and good humor and an ability to acknowledge his own imperfections only makes the man that much more remarkable. as he once said, i am not a saint, unless you think of a cent as a sinner who -- think of

a saint who is a sinner who keeps on trying. i'm one of the countless millions who drew his abrasion from nelson mandela's life. my very first political action, the first thing i ever did that involved an issue or a policy or politics am a was a protest against apartheid. i would study his words and his writings. riseny he released from aid me a sense from prison gave me a sense of what people can achieve. i cannot imagine my own wife without the example that doesn't that's -- that nelson mandela set, and so long as i live i will do what i can to learn from him. family, michelle and i extend our deepest sympathy and gratitude for sharing this extraordinary man with us.

meant long days away from those who loved him most, and i only hope time spent within the last few we eks give them comfort. we draw strength from the resilience that you made real. a free south africa, at peace with itself. that is an example to the world, legacy tos madiba's the nation he loved. we will not likely see the likes of nelson mandela again. cant falls to us as best we to follow the example he said, to make decisions guided not by heat, but by love, never discount the difference that one foron can make, and strive

a future that is worthy of his sacrifice. -- let ushether it is pause and give thanks for the fact that nelson mandela lived, a man who took history in his the arc of the towardniverse justice. may god grant him peace. withinresident obama the art. andon mandela died today, clinton and president george h bush -- as president i watched in wonders nelson mandela had the remarkable capacity for to forgive his jailers following his imprisonment, setting an example of redemption and grace for us all. or of your reaction for the next couple minutes here by twitter

and by phone. a tweet from bill gates, who says every time melinda and i met him we left more inspired than ever. his grace and courage changed world. this is a sad day. melissa in orlando. caller: mandela a compass more in his lifetime than almost anyone else in the world has. he sacrificed 27 years of his life being imprisoned because he was for human rights. there are few things as admirable than sacrificing his time of his life to pursue quality for the world in south africa. it is one of the few things that people crossed the nation and the world were united on,, and is almost impossible to measure. it is truly amazing. host: mandela released from prison in 1990 after 27 years. he was elected president of south africa 1994, served one term, advance, indiana.

hello. caller: hello. howh, i am not happy with all south africa treated this man. understand the unfortunate his demise to our country. with all due respect. i'm upset that he is gone, though. host: here is how it is being reported in south africa. , nelson mandela dies, and this is a full front page of their website for a photograph. this is -- we are taking your reaction on facebook. robert says his by the mighty lifeless, but his words will remain strong. born hating one for the color of the color of their skin or their background or religion. people must learn to hate, and if they learn to hate they can

be taught to love for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite. atlanta, georgia, go ahead. linda, hello. caller: i wanted to express my condolences to his family, and i was one of the many millions who were privileged in 1990 when he came to the new york area, and i have never forgotten that. i started my political activism earlier because i am older than obama, but i do not by shell gasoline. condolencesend my and say the world has lost a profit. i made a promise to myself and my daughter that we would see mandela, and god blessed us that we did in this lifetime also. host: here is cindy in albemarle. hello. caller: yes, hello. it is just such a tragic loss. he just truly cared about

people. , if they could uch whent a bit as m they think about policy, and all this bickering and carrying on -- if they would get more love in hitheir parts they could get so much more done in a country, that if they could set their differences aside and and notout each other be selfish. thank you. host: a couple of reactions on twitter. chuck grassley saying rip, nelson mandela. thankful he lived. free his country from apartheid. inspired the world. corrine brown -- this is medford, new york, hello.

caller: i would like to bring up something that people should not forget, is that disgraceful way ronald reagan treated mandela. he wouldn't put sanctions on the staff african -- on the south afton coming. he indicated he was a communist. shame on ronald reagan. he was a great man. host: one more from florida, and hello? caller: good evening. host: good evening. and we i am a jamaican, will miss man della -- mandela. jamaica, we love him. thank you very much. host: and more of your comments are welcome at facebook.com/cs pan. tomorrow on "washington journal," more of your comments.

we will take you back to 1998 and the congressional gold medal ceremony or nelson mandela at the capitol. [cheers] >> thank you very much. thank you. thank you. thank you very much. thank you. [cheers] thank you.

mr. speaker, senator thurman, senator daschle, congressman gephardt, representative hotten, thank you for what you have done to make as they come to pass. we are in your debt. waters, thank you. hereembers of congress present in both parties, members ,f the cabinet, administration and all our friends from south here, toho are

my friend, president mandela, americans as one today, across all the lines that divide us, pay tribute to your struggle, to your achievement, and to the inspiration you have given us to do better. others have said with profound conviction and eloquence what it that we love and admire. man who haser a received the nobel prize, the highest honor within the gift of this country. but if this day is to be more than a day in which we bask in

his reflexive glory -- reflected glory, we should ask ourselves what gift can we really give foron mandela in return 10,000 long days in jail. the lifee truly redeem of amy? thosen we honor all of who marched and work with nelson mandela who are no longer standing by his side. after the president was released and began his public career or,

he said, "the true test of our is just to freedom beginning. whenever we are together, he always talks about unfinished /heath thanked me again yesterday for saying something that to be honest i did not even think about consciously. he said that the united states has now said what can we do for our south africa, but what can we do with south africa to hold a common future. so i ask all of you to think things.st two or three common struggle with people with whom we share a

tom -- a common task and with whom we must build a common future throughout safra group and the african -- throughout south africa and the african continent has only begun. president obama has now said that he has gotten old and leaving the seat. the truth is he has gotten married and he feels young and he is tired of his response test of his public responsibilities and he wants to go into a broader life. [applause] those of us who share his vision and lift him up in honor today owe it to him to build a permanent partnership between , for the and africans education of our children, for the solution of our problems,

for the resolution of our differences, for the elevation of what is best about us all. that is what we owe to nelson and her to amy beal family, and to all of those who have sacrificed. for those 10,000 long days and the shiny example sent the clear understanding that a man who has given up so much of his life can give us that even more important than the sacrificed yesterday is what you are doing with today and what you will do with tomorrow. for that is the thing that always humbles me when i am with

nelson mandela, the sense of serenity and peace and engagement in the moment. we so i say to all of you should not waste our day is. we should make more of our days. mr. mandela waited a very long time to actually do something for his people rather than just to be something to keep their hearts and hopes alive. and every day i watch him, that is what he does. so should we. in forgiving those who imprisoned him, he reminded us of the most fundamental end,n of all, that in the apartheid was a defeat of the

spirit.he mind, the it was not just a structure jail houses within which people were kept. it was a division of the mind and soul against itself. we owe it to nelson men della, -- notply to it and then to get him this award, but to tear down the own lasting vestige of apartheid in our own hearts. this divide us from one another. [applause] for those of us who have been privileged to know this , norkable man, no medal werd no fortune, nothing

could give him could possibly compare to the gift he has given to us and to the world. the only gift that is true recompense is to continue his mission and to live by the power of his profound and wonderful example. now, as prescribed by the law, it is my privilege to present the congressional gold medal to president nelson mandela. mr. president?

>> thank you. thank you. .hank you

thank you. thank you. .hank you thank you.

, mr.esident clinton distinguished members of the senate and the house, , there is gentlemen one regret i have had throughout my life. the i never became heavyweight boxing champion of the world. [laughter]

i would like my friend e vander ilyfield do know that today feel like the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. [applause] it has been my great privilege to survey people who was born , to givenhuman system hope to all who love freedom and justice. a people whose triumph over the divisions of racism has even the new life to humanity's hope for a world without hatred and

discrimination. conscious that historians of the congressional gold medal upon me that you aren't you booking these on its -- you are invoking these bonds between our nation and paying tribute to the all of south african nations, for its achievement in realizing our ideals. it is in that spirit that i , awareaccept the award at the same time what a great honor you do me. by using me as the receiver of a

unique distinction confirmed by this how load institution of american -- how load institution , as onecan democracy who has dedicated his life to the pursuit of unity, i am moved by the consensus in your nation's regard for the achievements of my people. take great pride in the citizens,there are few citizens of other countries who have received this high honor. the name of a south african is now added. [applause] if today the people of south

africa are free at last to if the their basic needs --ntry of south offer key south africa has the potential to realize the potential or development through cooperation, if africa can devote all her energies and resources to not --ction, then it is and it is because the american people have lent their support to the struggle to end apartheid --ncluding critically critical action by this congress. it is also because of the actions of countless ordinary american citizens who responded to the call to join the apartheid anti-

movement, who have sided with us as we have tried to make a living reality of our vision of a better life for all south .fricans among those we remember today is hl.ng amy bie [applause] she made our aspirations her in the lost her life turmoil of our transition. as a new south africa struggle to be born in the dying moments of apartheid, through her our served thee also

pain of confronting that terrible past as we take the path of reconciliation and healing of our nation. in all these ways, the united states and its people have in thea significant role birth of our new nation. since the achievement of democracy, the relations between our countries have been steadily growing. we appreciate the commitment to our future that was embodied in the decision to set up a national commission, and that has informed the commission's contribution to the systematic the lament of an all-around relationship tween our -- an

all-around relationship between our countries. the highly successful state visit by president clinton to south africa in march this year testified to the strength of our relationship. the warm welcome he received from our people speaks of the special place that the people of in theted states occupy hearts of south africans. relationshipf our makes the united states and indispensable partner in bringing maternal improvement in the lives of our people, especially the poor. without which our democracy would remain a hollow shell and and yetility fragile, we need to remind ourselves that as much as we have made progress

in changing our peoples'lives for the better, the needs must needs in our country, the are a mess. -- are immense. it does need to be acknowledged that the imbalances and inequities given to us by the history of africa and south africa are beyond our capacity to admit on our own. they call for a partnership of africans and the united states, developing and developed about as, in bringing transfer of resources in addressing the in balances and disparities which have been so dramatically exposed in the

turmoil, in the world lost economic system. seeke, in agenda that we to develop with you, are such thees as increased aid resetting of external debt, inc. access tomproved markets in developing countries. includes also the democrats as asian of the institution of international governance and the redirection of the world's trade and financial system so that it better reflects the needs of the the recognition that even the most powerful economy in the world is not immune from the consequences in the global economic system, so forcefully art take elated recently by your

it indicates to us the needs of developing countries and of africa in particular will have an understanding here in washington. thatds to our confidence the united states will be in the forefront of the support of africa's struggle to bring about donations. honorary members, i do not expect to be granted the theilege of addressing representatives of the united states of america. i am probably grateful to have been allowed to do so. in the last months of my public life. thegh the challenges of

resident time for our country, our constant and the world are greater than those we have already overcome. we face the future with confidence. despite theause difficulties and tensions that confront us, there is in all of us the capacity to touch one another's heart across oceans and continents. the award with which you honor me today is an assertion of the common humanity that winds us, one person to another. nation and all ought to know -- people of the north two people of the south, i received with pride as a symbol of partnership for peace,

prosperity, and equity as we enter the new millennium. thank you. [applause]

>> let us pray. god, lord of all the nations, we have been profoundly moved this morning by this startling reminder that freedom is not free. the result of convictions that cannot be compromised, suffering that sometimes must be endured and battles for truth, righteousness, and justice that must he fought and won. father for enabling nelson mandela to turn the long struggle of an unjust incarceration into a stepping stone to true greatness. the lasting for

example of courage he has given to the world, now bless him with trials ando meet the challenges of leadership in overcome thetoday, destructive forces of racism and bring growing prosperity and stability to that land. we all stand together as nations committed to your sovereignty, dependent on your guidance, and unswerving in our allegiance to your values as revealed in the absolutes of your commandments. to this, we renew our commitment this day. a man. >> ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for being with us today. would you please remain in your

seats until the individuals have left the dais and then the rotunda. thank you. [applause] ♪

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>> the death of former south african president, nelson mandela, was announced by jacob zuma. esther mandela was 95 years old. at the u.n., the security council held a moment of silence and the secretary-general spoke to reporters with comments that are just under 10 minutes. >> good evening, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for this opportunity. said, i'mkesperson just going to the airport to go an african attend subcommittee meeting in paris. i hope this very sad news of

mandela's passing -- i hope to say in person something -- i am profoundly saddened by the passing of nelson mandela great else in mandela was a giant for justice and eight down to earth human inspiration. many around the world were greatly influenced by his suffering for human dignity, and human feeling. he touched our lives and deeply personal ways. at the same time, no one did more in our time to advance the values and aspirations of the united nations. nelson mandela showed what is possible for our world. within each one of us, if we believe, when men work together for justice and dignity. decisive inrce was

dismantling the system of apartheid. he emerged from a 27-year-old detention without rancor to come in and build south africa based on dialogue and reconciliation. i was pleased to meet belts -- to meet nelson mandela in february of 2009. when i think him for his life's work, he insisted the credit belonged to others. i will never forget his selflessness and deep sense of .hared her press on behalf of the united nations, i extend my deepest condolences to nelson mandela's family, the people of south africa, and our global family. let us continue each day to be inspired by nelson mandela's lifelong example to keep working for a better and more just world.

>> the secretary-general has time for two questions. >> could you recall your first encounter or the various encounters you might have had with nelson mandela, what was that like on a personal level for you? >> i met him in his residence, i was deeply touched and moved and inspired by what he said. him for hised lifelong contributions and struggle to end apartheid, he said it's not only me. hundreds hundreds and of known and unknown people who have contributed to the ending of apartheid. i was so touched. -- ituck me since then was a sense of human decency, ,uch humility and humbleness

such a great man was saying it was not only him. unknownre known and hundreds and hundreds of people. he repeated two or three times. then in the course of my presidenti told him mandela, we are grateful for your contributions, your lifelong contribution to make this world just and end apartheid. he repeated the same thing. it's not only me. there are hundreds and hundreds of unknown and known people who made this happen. that was a moment of deep inspiration for me. i have been speaking to many of our colleagues. this is what such a great man has said.

is a real sense of human decency and humility. i'm deeply grateful for what he has left during his lifetime to make this world a just and fair and equal for everybody. thank you. >> one last question. could you use the microphone? >> thank you. appreciate you taking the time to come speak to us. message any single nelson mandela has made throughout the year that run particularly true with you and int you think of flies today africa and throughout the rest of the world? one of the things he said was the whole cause of freedom was a work in progress. >> africa and

many countries in the world during the last century and many centuries before have suffered and this colonial rule abuse and violation of human rights and human dignity. such a great man like nelson mandela is it possible that particularly people in africa and elsewhere are able to enjoy freedom and human dignity. but i am still very much humbled. ofwe think the current state the world, there are many people, papal, women and girls, particularly in areas use -- whose human rights are totally abused and violated. we have to learn the wisdom and determination and commitment from president mandela to make

this world better for all. i wanted to express my deepest admiration and respect to president mandela and the people of south africa. and all the people of africa. thank you very much grade >> thank you very much indeed. >> the united nations secretary- on the this afternoon death of nelson mandela, the former south african president, today at the age of 95. the death announced somewhere near the 5:00 eastern hour. president obama came out to the press reefing room to make his own remarks.

>> at his trial in 1964, nelson mandela closed a statement from the dock saying i have fought and it white domination have fought against black domination. i have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. tois an ideal which i hope live for and achieve. but if need be, it is an idea for which i am prepared to die. mandela lived for that ideal and he made it real. he achieved more than could be expected of any man. today, he has gone home. the mostost one of influential, courageous and profoundly good human beings any of us will share time with on

this earth. he no longer belongs to us. he belongs to the ages. andugh his fears dignity unbending will to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others, he transformed south africa and moved all of us. his journey from a prisoner to a embodied the promise that human beings and countries can change for the better. transfer powerto and reconcile with those who jailed him set an example all humanity should aspire to, whether in the lives of nations or our own personal lives. the fact that he did it all with and annd good humor ability to acknowledge his own imperfections only makes the man that much more remarkable. as he once said, i'm not a

saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying. countlessf the millions who drew inspiration from nelson mandela's life. action,first political the first thing i ever did that involved an issue or policy in politics was a protest against apartheid. i would study his words and his writings, the day he was released from prison gave me a sense of what human beings can do when they are guided either hopes and not by their fears. globe, iany around the cannot fully imagine my own life without the example nelson mandela set. live, i will do tot i can to learn from him. michelle and his family,

michelle and i extend our deepest sympathy and gratitude for sharing this extraordinary man with us. long days work meant away from those who loved him most. i only hope the time spent with him these last few weeks brought peace and comfort to his family. to the people of south africa, we draw strength from the example of renewal and reconciliation and resilience that you made real. a free south africa at peace with itself. that is an example to the world and that is his legacy to the nation he loved. we will not likely see the likes of nelson mandela again. cant falls to us as best we before the example he set. to make decisions guided not i hate, but by love.

to never discount the difference that one person can make. to strive for a future that is worthy of his sacrifice. for now, let us pause and give thanks for the fact that nelson mandela lived. a man who took history in his hands. and then the arc of the moral universe toward justice. may god bless his memory and keep him in peace. >> nelson mandela died today at the age of 95 grade he spent 27 years in prison after being convicted of treason by the then white minority government. released in 1990, he negotiated a peaceful end to white rule and led the african national congress to electoral victory in 1994, the first formally democratic election in the country.

here is his state of the nation address from cape town am a south africa, this is 50 minutes. speaker and deputy president of the senate deputy president, chief distinguished members of the national assembly, and the senate. premiums, commanders membersecurity forces, of the diplomatic corps, esteemed guests, ladies and

, the time will come the our nation will honor memory of all the sons, , theters, the mothers fathers, the use and the were old by their hearts and deeds -- who by their hearts and the gave us a right that we are south africans. that we are africans. and that we are citizens of the world. that come with that among the's, we

shall find an african woman who transcended a particular experience and became a south african. african, and a citizen of the world. name is ingrid. was both a poet and a south african. she was both an african oh and an african. artist and a human being. in the midst of a spare, she celebrated hope, confronted by in the dark days, when

all seemed hopeless in our tontry, when many refused hear her resident voice, she took her own life. to her and others like her, we owe a debt for life itself. curve, we others i owe a commitment to the poor, andoppressed, the wretched the disposed. , in theftermath demonstrations, she wrote, and i quote they child is not dead. child list his fists against

his mother who shouts africa. , nothild is not dead peers through the windows of thousands, and into the hearts of mothers. play.ild who wanted to child grows into